This invention relates to closure caps for filler necks, and particularly to a cap having a manually actuable clutch for selectively interconnecting a filler neck-engaging closure portion of the cap and a separate rotatable cap lid to establish a driving connection therebetween for enabling removal of the cap from the filler neck. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cap of improved crashworthiness having a filler neck closure and a separate lid that are normally rotatable relative to one another when mounted on a filler neck yet are selectively connectable using a clutch to permit removable of the closure from the filler neck upon actuation of the clutch and roatation of the lid relative to the filler neck in a cap-removal direction.
The outer shell or lid of a fuel cap is generally exposed to a wide variety of impact forces during a vehicle accident or the like. Frequently, these impact forces act to rotate the lid relative to the filler neck. This lid rotation can lead to breakage of the filler neck seal established between the filler neck and the closure portion of the cap which engages the filler neck because of a common connection rigidly joining the lid to the filler neck-engaging closure portion. Liquid fuel might leak without a fluid-blocking seal in place at the mouth of the filler neck. Leakage of combustible liquid fuel from the filler neck resulting from failure of the seal would be particularly undesirable in the moments following a vehicle accident.
One object of the present invention is to provide a cap having an outer shell or lid that is independently rotatable relative to a filler neck-engaging closure portion while the cap is mounted on the filler neck and that can be coupled to rotate with the closure portion during removal of the cap from the filler neck.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cap which is configured to withstand impact forces generally experienced in a vehicle accident or the like without easily breaking the seal formed between the cap and the filler neck on which the cap is mounted.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a cap having an outer shell or lid that is normally rotatable relative to the sealed closure portion mounted on the filler neck to minimize disturbance to the sealed closure portion upon exposure of the lid to substantial impact force during a vehicle accident or the like, and yet is selectively connectable to the sealed closure portion to rotate the closure portion relative to the filler neck and break the seal therebetween upon manual rotation of the lid in a cap-removal direction during normal removal of the cap from the filler neck prior to refueling.
In accordance with the present invention, a cap is provided for a threaded filler neck. The cap includes closure means rotatably engaging the filler neck for closing the filler neck and shell means for providing a hand grip to permit rotation about an axis. Clutch means is included in the cap for selectively providing an operative connection between the shell means and the closure means so that rotation of the shell means relative to the filler neck in a cap-removal direction will rotate the closure means in the cap-removal direction. Actuation means is provided for activating the clutch means, the actuation means being reciprocable relative to the shell means in operative directions substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the shell means to control activation of the clutch means.
In preferred embodiments, the closure means is formed to include a central aperture and includes seal means for establishing a seal with the filler neck to block the escape of fluid in the filler neck to the atmosphere. The clutch means includes spring means for yieldably biasing the actuation means toward its extended position so that the shell means is normally rotatable relative to the closure means while the cap is mounted on the filler neck without breaking the seal established by the seal means, thereby enhancing crashworthiness of the cap.
The shell means includes sleeve means for yieldably receiving the actuation means. The sleeve means is configured to include an exterior opening to expose the actuation means so that a user may manually slide the actuation means relative to the shell means.
The actuation means includes a plunger and the clutch means includes bolt means for engaging the closure means and fixture means coupled to the shell means for slidably receiving the bolt means. The bolt means is thus movable relative to the shell means from an inactive retracted position away from the closure means toward an active projected position engaging the closure means in response to axial movement of the plunger relative to the shell means.
The actuation means further includes spring means acting between the plunger and the fixture means for yieldably biasing the plunger away from the closure means. The plunger includes a cam driver and the bolt means includes cam follower means for converting axial movement of the cam driver into radially outward movement of the bolt means toward its protective projected position during operation of the plunger.
One feature of the present invention is the provision of actuation means for activating the clutch means. This feature enables one to establish an operative connection between the shell means and the closure means just before the cap intentionally is to be removed from the filler neck. Desirably, the actuation means is reciprocable relative to the shell means in operative directions parallel to the axis of rotation of the shell means so that the actuation means is unlikely to move in operative directions in response to radially directed impact forces of the type which might cause the shell means to rotate.
Another feature of the present invention is the inclusion in the clutch means of spring means for yieldably biasing the actuation means toward its extended position so that the shell means is normally rotatable relative to the closure means while the cap is mounted on the filler neck. The operative connection is not extant while the cap is in its normal mounted position on the filler neck, which is when most vehicle accidents happen. The closure means is not normally coupled to rotate with the shell means because of the configuration of the clutch means. Advantageously, the closure means can then remain in a fully tightened position on the filler neck even if the shell means is exposed to an impact force or blow during a vehicle accident or the like causing the shell means to rotate relative to the filler neck.
Additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.